Back in stupid, sweaty Athens

[ishtar79]

I’m currently drinking my first attempt at a homemade caipirinha. It’s not a total success as a)my blender pulverizes the ice rather than crush it, so it’s really more of a boozy sorbet and b)yikes, it definitely needs more than one teaspoon of brown sugar. I’ll still finish it, mind you-booze is booze!

In other news, I’m back to my sort-of-but-as-close-as-I’ll-get-this-year holidays. What were supposed to be ten boring days in Halkidiki with my mum turned out ok since I had my crazy friend from Thessaloniki (it’s near there) and the ex-boyfriend to hang out with. Then, as soon as I came back, my best friend came to visit from abroad for a week, and then I headed for a weekend to Thessaloniki to catch up some more with aforementioned crazy friend. I wish I’d had a proper island holiday, but I’m nevertheless exhausted from all the sun, lack of sleep and excessive drinking, AND my voice is gone from smoking too much, so hey! Must be a holiday!

I was going to share some pics, but since I want to crosspost (and therefore can’t use LJ scrapbook, that I prefer to keep friends-only), can anyone recommend me a program besides Photobucket? (I’ve heard horror stories).

So, from the looks on the flist I’ve managed to sneak of the flist during the summer…I’m sorry, are we liking LJ again? The feeling is by no means universal (like anything online ever is), but I’m getting the vibe that, after some token goodwill gestures from our benevolent (ha!) overlords, suddenly all seems forgiven. I’ll just be on the corner, sticking to my reservations and not renewing my paid account (though I miss the icons, I admit). Back when tensions were still running high, I encountered the ‘LJ is an abusive boyfriend’ in icons a lot, and aside from the overdramatic and slightly inappropriate nature of the metaphor (hey, it’s fandom, overdramatic and slightly inappropriate is what we do), I can’t help but feel the shoe kind of fits in this cases. I won’t begrudge anyone their optimism, but I remain cynical.

I have a massive amount of catching up to do, but to finish this on a semi-fannish note, is anyone watching Mad Men? If not, you should definitely check it out. I wasn’t initially particularly attracted by the ‘ad agency in the 1960s’ premise, but that was before I saw how GORGEOUS the show is. And yes, also wonderfully acted, original, unflinchingly portraying the period complete with sexism, racism, bad food and smoking pregnant women (well, smoking EVERYONE. In both senses), amazing direction and sets and did I mention, so, so pretty! Everyone is vaguely amoral too. While smoking. Which to me makes it a sexy, sexy show.


(Man, this caipirinha really SUCKS!)

Comments

[go-back-chief.livejournal.com]

Hey, great to see you!

I’m sorry, are we liking LJ again?

No. It's just... so few people have moved and I update so rarely that it's not really worth it. Which is a crappy excuse, I know, because if people were more disposed to move it might be worth it, but it's just how it is.

[ishtar79.livejournal.com]

Good to see you too!

Heh, I wasn't pointing fingers or anything. I just found it a bit odd that some of the people who were the most "You're DEAD to me LJ! A PLAGUE upon your house!" about it are kind of "Let's cuddle, LJ!" now.

[helkamaria.livejournal.com]

so few people have moved

Yeah, that's really the reason why I stay here on LJ, too.

[embers-log.livejournal.com]

I'm afraid I'm too apathetic to change to a different online journal, I'm used to how this one works and I get lots of free icons on top of the ones I pay for because I've been here a while.... so I'm not happy about lj, but it will have to get a lot worse before I get off my ass and make a change.

I use photobucket for all my hotlinking... but I belong to snapfish: http://www2.snapfish.com
but I'm guessing it would be harder, not easier....
a lot of people use flickr: http://www.flickr.com/
but I'm not sure if it is any better either.

I'm afraid I watched the first few episodes of Mad Men and took it in dislike. You have to realize that I lived through the 1960s and I would have only have liked the show if they were lampooning the prejudice and snotty attitudes of that period, since they are celebrating them I really can't watch it.

So how are things going? I hope you are happy and well!

[ishtar79.livejournal.com]

Hey! I've been meaning to post at FOV two days ago to thank you for the comics, but I've been crazy busy with overdue errands and stuff that piled up while I was away.

My main beef with Photobucket is that they can apparently use any pictures you post there...wouldn't want to end up in some random porn site, you know? At least not without a cut of the profits.

I can understand your issues with Mad Men. Since I didn't live through the era, it's an interesting look at it.

I'm doing ok. Currently bored again, but studying and job-hunting. I might have some luck in the temporary employment front, but I don't want to say anything yet, lest I jinx it.

[embers-log.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you're getting the comics, I hope you are enjoying them...
and yeah it is true, everything you put up in Photobucket in a 'public' file is free to everyone to steal... but it you put it in a 'private' file then no one can ever seen it and you might as well not bother uploading it in the first place...
so I figure that my stuff just gets lost in the mix and I'm not likely to ever really worry about anyone taking any of my dull pics.

OTOH I do steal from photobucket all the time... I find a lot of my icons there!

Good luck on the unjinxed job hunt!

[q-spade.livejournal.com]

YAY I FUCKING LOVE IT WHEN YOU POST

ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU'RE DRINKING THE EL JAY HATERADE, LOL!

w00t w00t :D

*ahem!*

I've been hearing lots of good things about Mad Men; I admit to feeling a bit leery about it because it's getting a massive amount of props for retrogressive attitudes re: women & nonwhites. I fully understand it's a period piece, and is fairly true to the times. And of course I'm not going to diss something I haven't watched! But the glamorization of pre-feminist attitudes that I've been reading about re: Mad Men kinda...squicks me.

But if I catch it on the telly, I'll give it a shot. :)

[ishtar79.livejournal.com]

YAY, IT'S GREATING TALKING TO YOU TOO!

And I always drink the LJ Haterade. Mixed with something alcoholic, 'natch.

I totally get what you're saying about Mad Men. Personally, I don't think it glamorizes the cavemen 'tudes per se, more presents them as they were. But then again, that sort of thing is probably very dependent on the audience; I spend a lot of my time flinching, but someone else might be obvlivious, and someone REALLY assy could get nostalgic about the 'good old days'.

I do think it's different from watching something actually filmed at the time, which actually embodies said attitudes. I'm a lot more uncomfortable watching movies from that era, for instance. I'm also hopeful that the show will reflect all the major social changes that occured during that decade, though it's still too soon to tell.

Still, I think it's worth checking out and making up your own mind about it. Did I mention the smoking?

[strangelover.livejournal.com]

Okay, it's a mojito in the icon, but bare with me.

Don't use a blender, to make the best cocktail smash up the ice by hand (I tend to stick it in a plastic bag and whack it with a rolling pin - good for crushed ice, a small work out and a rage release). Cut the lime into eighths and place in a sturdy glass, sprinkle two teaspoons of brown sugar over the lime wedges (if you have time, add a little soda and let it sit, especially if you like it really limey, or) smoosh it all up, the end of the rolling pin works just fine. Add in some crushed ice, pour in the booze, stir, enjoy.

By the way, where did you get the cachaça? Or are you just using vodka?

As for photos - Flickr works for me, and I've also heard good things about SmugMug.

[ishtar79.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the instructions. And yeah, that's pretty much what I did, save my mistake of using the blender, and not adding enough brown sugar.I got the cachaca at the supermarket-I wouldn't dream of using vodka, having just endured my best friend sneering at the various fake caipirinhas we were served all over Athens and getting looooong lectures on the Real Thing.

And I'll check those sites out.

[writerlibrarian]

On the LJ front I think most everyone is still on waiting for the other shoe to fall and wait until the next plateform (what ever that plateform will be is anyone's guess) is coming together. I know there are a few projects slowly coming together but nothing that compares to LJ technology wise anyway. If I didn't have a permanent account I would be on basic with minimal icons. I'm in pause mode.

As for a webpicture site there's a new one that use for it's editing software that is so much better than photobucket : http://www.flauntr.com/flauntr/

[ishtar79.livejournal.com]

I wish there was good alternative everyone agreed on, but the chances of that aren't looking so great right now. And yeah, I hear you on the 'pause mode'.

Oooh, I haven't heard off that site before, must check it out!

Caipirinha...

[kagyakusha.livejournal.com]

My fiancé and I use a retro hand-crank ice-crusher (http://www.amazon.com/Metrokane-Retro-Crusher-Clear-Chrome/dp/B0009I4NKQ)...it works really well and does fine and coarse crushed ice.
Also, for a good caipirinha...you should make sure you're using a decent cachaça...there's some articles online about which ones are good. Also, make sure you use freshly squeezed juice!

^^;; We're obsessive cocktail snobs.

Re: Caipirinha...

[ishtar79.livejournal.com]

I've been looking for one of those ALL OVER the place! I've seen them used in many bars-I should just ask the bar staff where they got theirs.

Re: Caipirinha...

[kagyakusha.livejournal.com]

We got ours at a specialty kitchen store...but a lot of our best bar supplies came from a restaurant supply store. Good luck!!

Re: Caipirinha...

[ishtar79.livejournal.com]

There's one of those in my neighborhood, but it's closed for August. I'll have to look when it opens.

[penelope-z.livejournal.com]

Oh, I was in Xalkidiki the past two weeks. Damn, I didn't know, we could have arranged something.

[ishtar79.livejournal.com]

Aw, crap. Didn't even know you were in Greece.

[penelope-z.livejournal.com]

I was home for the holidays, back in London now. I assumed you were in Athens. Never mind! Xmas perhaps? Oh, and I'll be in Athens in November for work for a couple of days.

[ishtar79.livejournal.com]

LOL, I might actually go to London for Christmas! XD

Give me a heads up if you do come in November, I'd love to meet up.

[aegflota.livejournal.com]

I only updated LJ once to let RL people know what was happening t'other day as they don't read IJ and I wanted to wangst about my health. What are the token goodwill gestures?

[ishtar79.livejournal.com]

Sorry for taking ages to reply, I completely forgot about the comment. I'm not talking about you, or anyone specific really.

I think restoring basic accounts was one of LJ's 'goodwill gestures'. Still not convinced.